The present invention relates generally to product merchandising units and, more particularly, to a dual purpose product merchandising unit adaptable for displaying at least two different types of products at the same time, for example, chilled beverages and newspapers, magazines, or other periodicals.
Merchandising of products in a retail environment has become both an art and a science and is utilized to achieve increased sales and profits from the sale of a wide variety of different products. The type of product promotion or merchandising campaign chosen to increase sales may be dependent upon the particular type of product being sold, the type of retail store, where the promotion is located in the retail store, where it is positioned relative to eye level, the products it is positioned next to, signage, and so forth. As an example, it is desirable when selling impulse items like a wide variety of different types of periodicals, such as magazines and newspapers, to have such items positioned at the end of aisles or next to the check out counter so that these items may be readily viewed by a consumer who may not be going into the store to specifically buy a periodical. On the other hand, non-impulse items are merchandised differently since consumers specifically go to the store to actively seek them out, for example, soft drink and fruit juice beverages.
Whether or not an item is an impulse item will often times be determined by the type of store in which it is being merchandised and not by the item itself. A cold beverage would likely not be considered an impulse item in a convenience store while in a grocery store the same product might be considered an impulse item. Likewise, in a bookstore, a periodical would not necessarily be an impulse item but in a convenience store, a mass merchandising store, or a grocery store, the periodical would be an impulse item. Thus, depending upon the type of store and the type of customer, the status of a product for sale may change from an impulse item to a non-impulse item and vice versa. If multiple products can be merchandised from the same product merchandising unit, particularly a point-of-purchase display, the potential for cross-selling all products displayed on the single unit is greatly enhanced.
It is also important to note that the availability of floor space in a merchandising environment is always at a premium. As a result, versatility and flexibility in use and mobility are desirable characteristics in any merchandising unit. Since merchandisers know that the strategic location of products for sale can have a great impact on the volume of sales of such products, a merchandising unit which can be easily moved from one location to another within a retail environment, which provides easy accessibility to prospective customers, which provides multiple products to consumers in a limited amount of space, and which can be sized to economize on required floor space is likewise highly desirable. Another desirable characteristic of a product merchandising unit is that it be attractive and that it catch the eye of prospective consumers.
The present product merchandising unit not only satisfies the foregoing needs, but it does so in an inexpensive way by providing an assembly comprised of components that can be easily assembled without special tools to produce a ready to use product merchandising unit which is easily moved from one point of sale location to another, which requires very little floor space and, importantly, which merchandises different types of products in an attractive presentation to potential customers.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems as set forth above.
The present invention relates to a product merchandising unit capable of merchandising at least two different types of products at the same time thereby permitting one product to draw a consumer""s attention to the other product, for example, merchandising an impulse item along with a non-impulse item. The present merchandising unit includes a support stand having a plurality of upright members with additional display racks carried by the upright members for the display of periodicals such as magazines and newspapers. In one embodiment of the present invention, these additional display racks are comprised of an open grid wire arrangement. Also carried by the support stand and positioned above at least some of the periodical racks is a cooler or container assembly for the display and selection of beverages such as chilled soft drinks, fruit juices, and the like. The cooler assembly is preferably made of a light-weight plastic material and takes the form of a cylindrical tub adaptable for holding a plurality of chilled beverages. The cooler assembly may include a see-through lid member which can be hingedly attached to the cooler assembly for providing easy access to the interior portion of the cooler tub. The clear plastic lid member serves to close the cooler assembly; it provides visibility to the products positioned within the cooler assembly; and it provides ready access to the products by consumers. Lid members of various shapes and styles may likewise be used in conjunction with the present cooler assembly. The cooler assembly may also include an appropriate drainage mechanism for periodically draining waste water from the melted ice which may accumulate within the cooler assembly.
An additional support member is provided to support the cooler assembly on top of the support stand. In one embodiment, this additional support member is cooperatively engagable with the support stand and is likewise cooperatively engagable with the lower portion of the cooler assembly. This additional support member prevents relative movement of the cooler assembly during use and secures the cooler assembly to the support stand. Appropriate casters or other wheel means are also associated with the lower portion of the support stand to provide easy mobility of the overall unit without the need of unloading the entire unit before moving the unit from one location to another.
The present product merchandising unit can readily be assembled by one person from its individual constituent parts. Signage and other indicia may likewise be included on the exterior of the cooler assembly to enhance its appearance and/or to promote the sale of the various products stored therein.